Cheryl Watrud Moilanen Obituary

Cheryl Watrud Moilanen attended Rice Lake High School in Rice Lake, WI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Cheryl Watrud Moilanen.

Graduation Year	Class of 1970
Date of Passing	Apr 23, 2009
About	Cheryl Joy Moilanen, 57, of Hudson passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2009 due to injuries sustained in an accident on Feb. 5. She was born the daughter of Lester and Margaret (Fillmore) Watrud on Christmas, Dec. 25, 1951, in Rice Lake, Wis. She graduated from Rice Lake High School, went on to take many classes in communications, and attended college at UW-Stout. Cheryl was a tenacious and a go-getter; she worked her way up the ranks, eventually becoming a communications director of a telephone company. She spent two years in Belgium helping to set up a communications (telephone/cable/ Internet) system, and took every class on the subject that she could to help her career. Cheryl and her husband, John, recently had their 30th anniversary; they were united in marriage on April 14, 1979, in Afton, Minn. John's children, Jon "Jack" and Jeanne, completed their family. Throughout her life, Cheryl was always on the go and doing "something." She had a love of both the young and old. She was just ending her time as the director of the Senior Center in Somerset, she delivered Meals on Wheels and she volunteered to transport the elderly to their appointments. This past year, she was proud of attaining her license to drive a school bus. Everyone else came first to Cheryl; she was selfless, adventurous (skydiving 12 times!) and kept her home and yard immaculate. She would get the party going -- and be the one to end it. She was preceded in death by her father, Lester Watrud Sr.; mother, Margaret Walters; and step-father, Arthur Walters; siblings, Albert Haus Sr., Lester Watrud Jr. and June Jakway; and mother-in-law, Ann Seekel. Cheryl is survived by her loving husband of 30 years, John Molianen; son, Jon "Jack" Moilanen; daughter, Jeanne (John) Bellecourt; three grandchildren, Cassandra (Dan) Odell, Michael Bellecourt and Jenna Bellecourt; great-grandson, Justin Odell; brothers, Mark (Renee) Watrud and Steven (Barb) Watrud; sisters, Fern Goodell, Betty Wohlk, Barbara Besecker, Maryann (Lee) Hanson and Bonnie (Dale) Isenberg; brother-in-law, Chuck (Julie) Seekel; many, many nieces, nephews and their families, extended family members and a vast multitude of friends. A memorial service for Cheryl was at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 27, at Bethel Lutheran Highlands Church, 504 Frontage Road, in Hudson. Visitations are one hour prior to the service at the church, and on Sunday, April 26, from 4-7 p.m. at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, (715) 386-3725. Interment was in Rice Lake at Nora Cemetery at 4 p.m.